Match Report : 22/11/2014

It was back to League business for Paul Dickov’s side after avoiding a potential banana skin with a win in the FA Cup against Weston Super Mare midweek, Keith Hill’s Rochdale were today’s opponents.

Possession was shared in a tentative start by both sides but was edged by the hosts, Rhys Bennett’s 7th minute cross from the right was glanced past Johnstone at the back post by DONE to make it one-nil to the Dale.

Rovers looking to respond forced Logan into action, Bennett’s 14 minute strike from 22 yards out forced the Dale keeper to parry the ball into the path of Tyson who’s shot off balance goes wide.

Six minutes later a Rovers corner finds Tyson who hits one from 18 yards left footed across goal but flies just past the right hand post of Logan’s goal. Shortly after Wabara tries to curl on left footed from the right but the dipping effort also drifts past the post.

Rovers pushing for the equaliser on 25 minutes play a through ball into the feet of BENNETT who wriggles away from 3 defenders in the area and shoots into the bottom corner to level things half way through the first half.

Ten minutes later Coppinger with the ball tied to his shoelace, taking on players for fun finds himself in the area within shooting distance and unleashes a shot with great power but flies high over the Rochdale goal for a goal kick.

Main has a couple of efforts within 2 minutes, he tries to create space in the area to shoot, and his effort from close range was saved by the on rushing Logan. A through ball from the right finds Main who hits a driving low shot across goal, this time Logan watches the ball goes just past post.

Johnstone was called into action in the one minute of added time. Noble-Lazarus’ long-range effort meant the young keeper was at full stretch to tip it past the post and keeps the score at one-all going into the break.

Half Time – Rochdale 1 -1 Doncaster Rovers

The opening five minutes of the second half were dominated by the visitors and 5 minutes in Bennett gets on the end of a long ball and his close range shot is deflected wide.

The Dale found themselves down to ten men after Matty Done lunges into a challenge on Coppinger, the Referee J. Simpson deemed that dangerous on the Rovers midfielder and shows a straight red on 54 minutes to the first half goal scorer.

Approaching the hour mark, Rovers substitute Forrester shoots from 18 yards and forces the Dale keeper into a save stretching to the left hand corner. On the hour mark Rovers could have taken the lead as a cross is met by Tyson, he rises highest in the six yard box but his header rebounds off the underside of the bar.

66 minutes on the clock and the woodwork is rattled again, this time from Bennett’s spectacular long range effort that rebounds into the path of Tyson, 5 yards out hits it side footed against Main in the way and it goes wide for a goal kick.

Rovers lack of clinical finishing is heightened as Tyson fires it high from 12 yards and on 72 minutes Main finds himself one on one with the Rochdale keeper and again his shot is fired over Logan’s crossbar.

Keegan is replaced by Theo ROBINSON for the final few minutes and scores with his first touch. He heads home from an in swinging corner from close range to give Rovers the lead with five minutes remaining.

The pressure to score drops on Rovers with one minute left, Wabara crosses low from the right and MAIN back heels the ball from inside the 6 yard box past Logan to give Rovers daylight.

The referee blows for full time and although the scoreline suggests a comfortable win, for a large part of the second half Rovers were almost guilty of ruing missed opportunities. Their resilience paid off and once Robinson broke the deadlock, Rovers’ win became a professional performance in rescuing three point to take home back to Yorkshire.